The Barefoot Birth Team

Makayla Cole
Owner & Midwife
Like many birth workers, my passion for birth was born through the experience of having my own children. Each birth left me feeling empowered and deeply connected to the sacredness of the process. After the birth of my third and final child in 2019, I knew I couldn’t ignore the calling—I jumped headfirst into birth work.
I began as a doula and birth photographer to immerse myself in the world I loved, always knowing that midwifery was the ultimate goal. In 2020, I officially began my midwifery training and in 2023, I proudly earned my Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential and became a licensed midwife in the state of South Carolina.
When I’m not supporting families in the birth space, I’m at home on our little homestead—gardening, wrangling chickens, and soaking up nature with my family. I homeschool my three beautiful children and share life with my best friend and husband, Nate. We’re active in our local church and love spending our free time exploring the outdoors and making memories through spontaneous adventures.
And yes—I love sharing birth stories! Ask me about my unexpected home birth and the time I gave birth in the car!
April McMasters
Midwife Assistant
I’m April, a proud mother of two grown children—Aaron, an Aerospace Engineer in the Air Force, and Makayla, the owner of Barefoot Birth—as well as a proud grandmother to three wonderful grandchildren. I live in the Upstate with my husband, and I enjoy cooking, being involved in my church, spending time with family, and snuggling up with my blind kitty, Minnie.
My passion for birth work began in a very unexpected way—when I delivered my first grandchild at home. A few years later, I found myself unexpectedly delivering another grandbaby in the backseat of our car. Those experiences opened my heart to the beauty and power of birth.
I find great joy in supporting families during one of the most personal and sacred moments of their lives. Being a calming, encouraging presence during birth is an honor. Getting to support Makayla in a career she loves, while fulfilling my own calling, truly feels like a dream come true.
April is the owner of April's Doula Services, a collective of doulas that support families in an array of services, including birth doula services, postpartum care, craniosacral therapy, education for parents and more. Check out the website to learn more about their services:
These services aren't included in Barefoot Birth's Packages.

April McMasters
Midwife Assistant
April is a proud mother of two grown children, Aaron, an Aerospace Engineer in the Airforce and Makayla, the owner of Barefoot Birth, and three grandchildren. She resides in the Upstate with her husband and enjoys cooking, church, spending time with her family and snuggles with her blind kitty, Minnie.
April's passion for birth started after she unexpectedly delivered her first grandchild at home. A few years later, she again, unexpectedly delivered another grandchild in the backseat of their car. Her supportive and encouraging demeanor during births brings a great comfort to families in a very personal, intimate time in their lives. Supporting and serving Makayla in a career that she loves, while fulfilling her own passion, is a dream come true.


Kristen Shorey
Student Midwife
I'm Kristen—Michigan transplant, super introvert, wife, and mama to four amazing kiddos. I also share my home with two golden retrievers, a cat, rat, and a daily revolving door of toads, lizards, turtles, and bugs (thanks to my curious crew). I love being outdoors—when it’s not sweltering—I live for autumn, find comfort in storms, practically live in jumpsuits, and am deeply obsessed with all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
After experiencing a traumatic first birth, I knew things had to be different. When I became pregnant again, I committed to doing the work—seeking healing, learning, and discovering just how beautiful and transformative birth can truly be, especially at home.
That journey changed me. It ignited something deep within me—a passion I couldn’t ignore.
For the past three years, I’ve had the honor of attending births as a doula, and more recently adding birth photography to my repertoire, walking alongside women in some of the most sacred, powerful moments of their lives. That experience led me to a deeper calling.
Now, as a student midwife, I’m continuing to grow, learn, and serve. I want every woman to know that birth can be free of fear and filled with strength. That she deserves support rooted in trust, knowledge, and respect.
Doulas
At Barefoot Birth, we believe continuous, compassionate support is essential during pregnancy and birth. That’s why our Package 2 includes care from one of our trusted doulas.
Get to know the dedicated doulas who partner with Barefoot Birth to walk alongside you every step of the way.
Jenny Ervin
Doula & Childbirth Educator
I’m Jenny—a devoted Christian, wife of 30 years, mama of eight, and proud grandma to five. My family and I have called the beautiful Upstate home for the past 17 years. I’ve had a passion for birth and babies since my teenage years, and in 2017, I became a certified birth doula.
Drawing from my own diverse birth experiences—which include two birth center births, five homebirths (three of them water births), and one hospital birth with an epidural—I compassionately support families in creating joyous and intentionally beautiful birth experiences. Along with labor, delivery, and postpartum support, I offer comprehensive childbirth education classes designed to empower expectant parents with confidence as they navigate their unique birth journeys.
Building lasting bonds with families is the greatest joy of my work as a doula. I’m excited to be your go-to “birth best friend!”


Emilie Gilbert
Doula
Hello there, I’m Emilie — Orthodox Christian, certified birth doula, devoted postpartum caregiver, and mother to Eleanor and Benedict. I’m married to James, an archaeologist with a love for uncovering the past, while I walk with women as they step into new beginnings. I adore attending home births—especially after experiencing a redeeming home birth myself with my second—where birth unfolds in the familiar intimacy of one’s own space, surrounded by chosen support and the quiet dignity of trust. Every birth is unique, bearing its own beauty and challenge, and I approach each one with reverence, calm, and care. I’m experienced in VBAC, hospital, and home birth support, but I’m drawn to the grounded simplicity and sacredness of birth at home. I believe deeply that birth works—that the female body is wonderfully and wisely made for this work—and that birth, while physiologically normal, is also holy. My calling is to support mothers as they reclaim confidence in their bodies, in the process of birth, and in the goodness of what they were created to do. I offer nurturing, steady presence in labor and tender, thoughtful care in the early postpartum days. I also care deeply about the restoration of village-minded support—not to take the place of mothers, grandmothers, or wise women, but to invite more women to remember that this kind of care is their inheritance too. Through education, gentle encouragement, and embodied presence, I hope to help reawaken what our modern world has forgotten: that women are made to care for one another in birth and beyond. When I’m not immersed in birth work, you can find me curled up with a good book and hot tea, creating warm and welcoming corners in our home, or spending time outdoors with my children and husband.
Address
430 Woodruff Rd
Suite 325
Greenville, SC 29607